


more than words

by chuwaeyo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: F/F, Falling In Love, Family Feels, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 16:31:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19338319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chuwaeyo/pseuds/chuwaeyo
Summary: Pairing: May Parker x Reader; Peter Parker & Reader (mentor/platonic)Anon Req: hello! so i rewatched homecoming last night and now i have many may parker feelings again. i was wondering if you could write a fic where reader is assigned to watch peter instead of happy, but she gets more involved in his life and she and may fall for each other, and may is really upset when she finds out that reader knew peter was spider-man all along, and even more upset when she finds out that reader is a hero too, but they make up in the end. thank you!!





	more than words

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: over 3k unedited words for a character that everyone sleeps on because I love her so much, I hope my fellow May stans appreciate this (I finished this at 2:30 in the morning) & pls be kind i’m tired lol

If anyone told you that your life would be changed by a small family from Queens more than it would be than becoming an Avenger, you’d roll your eyes and call them insane.

You were a field researcher and intelligence agent for the agency turned unwilling Avenger a mission gone wrong had you kidnapped and experimented on by Hydra – accidentally granting you energy manipulation powers and helping in your own rescue from their facility.

With power like your own, you could no longer stay behind the scenes and enjoy helping the world through your research - the director gave you your orders, and you would follow them.

Even if that meant being a glorified research assistant to Tony on the rare occasion.

“Just because the fate of the Earth isn’t at stake right now doesn’t mean I agreed to be your assistant, what happened to Happy? Shouldn’t he be, you know…doing this?” You rolled your eyes as you read the short note, Tony scribbled out for you, “he can lift a literal ten tons and his bones basically seem indestructible at this point, why do I have to do this?”

“It’ll be good for you! The kid is a sweetheart, reminds me why I started the internship in the first place, whether it’s in the lab, or field he’s gonna be making big changes in the world.” He shrugged without turning away from the schematics and model he pulled out for you both to examine, “his aunt is a looker too if you need some other incentive, now any ideas on where I can minimize the bulkiness of this suit?”

It didn’t take a genius for you to know that any other complaints you had about the new assignment would go ignored in favor for your thoughts on the latest version of his armor. “I think we should really push for nanotechnology; it would help avoid any incidents with Lang and his team too.”

“You think I haven’t been trying?” Tony rolled his eyes and groaned as he bumped shoulders with you, “this is supposed to help distract me from the wall I’ve hit with that. Now be honest, where?”

“The legs.”

You resigned yourself to help him for the rest of the night complaint-free, not knowing that that would be about as much you ever complained to Tony about being Peter’s new guardian and cover for both the internship and hero work.

He reminded you of all the younger agents you took under your wing at the Academy and during your time as a field researcher – Peter, smart and talented as he was, he was still young, needed someone like Tony to really make the most of his talents, and you were just along for the ride to make sure no one died.

Peter grew on you quickly, looking at you in wonder as you answered any questions he had during car rides or moments in the lab when Tony passed out on the couch for a nap, and never being a second late for the internship, always meeting you outside his door before his aunt could wonder who was meeting him.

One afternoon, however, he was less than lucky, mistiming how long it would take talking to his advisor and making it back home just before you got to his door, slamming it shut the moment you got to his floor.

After the courtesy five minutes, you started to tap your foot on the ground, watching your phone come to life with inquiries from Tony about your whereabouts and if you were getting food since you were both late.

“Parker! How long does it take for you to change? I’ve seen enough of your outfits to know that all you wear are pants and a tee, that’s like…five minutes tops.” You groaned as the phone continued to vibrate with an avalanche of texts from Tony, knowing he was on the other end with a grin on his face at how annoyed you were getting, knocking on the door incessantly. “Pe-”

Before you could finish your complaint, you were met with a greeting that you were all too familiar with from Peter,  _that bright Parker smile and laugh_ , “I didn’t realize Peter got door service whenever he had to go to his internship, would you like to come inside? Maybe stop scaring our neighbors with all your knocking?”

“He usually meets me downstairs, but he was taking too long today and there’s a project that I thought he’d be interested in, so I thought I’d try and get him to hurry.” You mirrored her smile and tried to project the image of someone responsible enough to watch over her nephew, “Miss Parker, I assume? It’s great to finally meet you, Peter speaks the world of you.”

Her eyebrows quirked up at the second half of your greeting with a hint of a sparkle in her eyes as she laughed again, the sound hitting your ears like a clear melody floating in a lazy afternoon, “please, call me May. Miss Parker sounds much too formal for all the things you must be helping Peter with.”

“How did you get inside – Oh!” Peter’s eyes widened for a split second before narrowing at you, remembering how awkward it was when Tony came to visit for the first time, “Aunt May! You finally met them! That’s…great.”

“Thanks for the warm introduction, Peter, I really appreciate that.” You rolled your eyes with a small smile, but he was already laughing and throwing his backpack over his shoulder, turning to hug his aunt goodbye. “It was good meeting you Miss – I mean, May – I’ll bring him home safe.”

Peter was basically pushing you out the door as she waved to both of you with another laugh, “you break him, you buy him! That’s our store policy!”

Your hand caught the door frame just in time to throw your head back for a reply, “he’ll stay in one piece, cross my heart, maybe a little worse for wear at most.”

“Didn’t you say we were late? Hurry up already, come on!” He couldn’t tell if you were just being your usual self or flirting with his aunt, but he didn’t want to take the chance for either.

And between your laughter and Peter’s groaning, you almost missed her faint giggle as she closed the door, the small hint cementing your smile for the rest of the day and each time after that whenever she insists you wait inside with her while Peter got ready.

A glorified babysitter for a boy wonder.

That’s all you thought it could ever be.

But then weeks turned to months and your family became more than just those that you grew to love as an agent or Avenger, it grew to include two people from Queens that you would drop everything for.

It started out as a courtesy drink and conversation while you both waited for Peter to get ready for the internship and became more than that.

From acting as a stand-in “parent” when May couldn’t get out of work for conferences at school, being an extra mouth to try her new recipes, an extra hand when building furniture, or just being there for both Parkers when a storm blew out the power for their entire block and the night reminded them of the night they lost Ben.

The moment was burned into your memory - Peter’s voice came through as an uneven whimper, begging you to stop by with May’s voice in the background, trying to comfort him even though she sounded just as hurt.

“All I need is ten minutes, Peter, stay on the line with me until I’m there, okay?” You didn’t hesitate to drop everything and run for the car the moment you heard his quiet hello, the mission debriefing or the argument over which movie to watch back at the Compound once it was over was both insignificant compared to the people who needed you at that night.

And you never fancied yourself as a “hug” person, but once he ended the call to open the door so they could wrap their arms around you, you think that might’ve changed. The phone was still in your hands when you returned the embrace and pulled them closer to you, small wet marks appearing where their tears fell.

“Your hero is here, Parkers, and I’m not leaving until you’re both okay.” Your heart ached at the sobs you felt, but they both calmed down with your appearance, letting you lead them to the couch to sit as you got them water. “So long as I have a say, nothing bad will happen to either of you.”

After that incident, something changed between you and the Parkers. Something subtle.

Something that was always there, but never really acted on, or ever thought too much about.

Something they always felt but didn’t want to admit.

Peter was as optimistic and almost annoyingly bright as ever, but his anxiousness in the lab and behind the mask seemed to fade away, especially knowing you were there for him, always ready to have his back.

But May?

It felt like there was a new warmth to her and the things she did.

You found yourself getting showered in more shy smiles and moments that felt a little too safe and warm than you deserved. Moments you found yourself smiling about long after they’ve passed.

Her hand lingers a little longer on your arm when you pull apart during your goodbye, her smile doesn’t leave even for a second watching you bicker with Peter over nothing at all, and if you ever looked up, you’d know her eyes always followed you, even in a crowded room.

It was a feeling you buried under all the responsibilities and your work as an agent when you first started out in the agency before the Avengers were anything more than just a dusty folder in Fury’s files.

And if things were simpler, maybe you could’ve gotten your breath taken away, swept off your feet, yearn for future where it could just be you and her (and Peter), and live like a family in a world without a need for heroes and your masks.

A simpler world where, when you wiped her tears that stormy night, you could have followed with a life-changing kiss that said more than any words that would leave your mouth, that sparked the next great romance people would dream about.

But the secrets, and masks, and saving the world every few months made it hard for you to notice what was waiting right there.

Not the love, the happy ending, or the inevitable exposure of all the secrets you hid from her.

It was a warm spring day.

The next time you would share a hard moment with the Parkers.

All you remember was the arguing and the aftermath of that day.

Peter snuck back inside his room with ease, just in time to change for dinner, pulling the mask off with a satisfied smile, not hearing the sound of his door opening until May gasped.

“What the fuck?” He dropped the mask in a panic as he turned to meet his aunt with an equally shocked expression, “how could you hide this from me?”

“I’m completely safe out there, May! I get training from the others, they always make sure I’m safe, Tony and (Y/N) wouldn’t let me out there if they think I couldn’t handle it!” Peter let out a nervous laugh as his aunt marched up to him and picked up his mask, not realizing the mistake that slipped until it was too late.

Her eyes narrowed when she played back the reply in her head, focusing on one name in particular, “wait a second, did you just say-”

“Uhhh… no?” He knew by the look on his aunt’s face, there was no use trying to deny what she heard (and saw), but Peter wanted to try and give you  _some_  deniability for the inevitable scolding you’d both be suffering from.

Even after getting his own earful on why being a hero was too dangerous and how horrible it was that he wasn’t honest with her, Peter listened to her words with no more than a sorry pout, typing out a short text telling you to hurry over, watching as May took the mask in her hands and left him alone to mull over her words.

“Everything okay, Parkers? I drove over as soon as I –” your smile dropped as you let yourself in and closed the door behind you when you saw the mask in May’s hands, mentally preparing yourself for the scolding you knew you were about to receive, “before you say anything, please sit down and let me explain.”

The betrayal in her eyes already spoke volumes, shutting your lips as soon as she wagged an accusatory finger in your face, “how could you let him do this? He’s just a kid, what if he gets hurt, what if you get hurt?!”

“May… I know it’s hard to hear, but Peter’s something special, and I would never let anything bad happen to him, no one on the team would.” You did your best to keep your voice steady and calm, pushing down the aching in your heart. “And me? I’ve been in worse situations where I didn’t have the other Avengers watching my back, or powers and a fancy suit to protect me, at the end of the day I’m just another agent, I’m here to serve.”

“Not to me – not to Peter…what do you think will happen if you die?” Her head shook at how easily you disregarded your own life, but she wasn’t ready to cave, still mad at the secrets you both hid from her, “how could you hide this from me?”

You took a second to try and gather your thoughts, to give her a second to really understand, but nothing could prepare either of you for the reality behind both your concerns. “I’m an Avenger, a researcher turned soldier, May. Just because my job title changed, doesn’t mean anything, if I die protecting what I love or doing my job, then I have no right to be mad.”

“No right to be mad?! Avenger or not you’re still a human being, you still have people that care if you live or die,” the confession rested on the tip of her tongue, but her worry still controlled her thoughts, “you can’t be so quick to throw your life away.”

Of course, the scolding came from a good place, but you knew it was your job to get the heat off Peter, to prove that he never was or would be at fault. “Look, this isn’t about me, okay? I know you’re worried about Peter, but so am I, trust me. So long as I’m around and breathing, nothing will happen to him. I promised you that before, didn’t I?”

To prove you were a responsible guardian for Peter, you avoided catching her eye until now, afraid that you would crack under her pressure and say something that would plant more doubt in her mind instead of relieving it.

She was the one person that could ever hurt you so deeply, and you handed her the knife by keeping these secrets for as long as you’ve gotten close to her.

But you couldn’t stand not knowing, finally lifting your head to meet her, and much like you feared, your heart ached at the sight as the look of betrayal cut straight through your heart.

“I’m sorry, May, I don’t know what I can say to make things better, but this is what we do. All this is to make sure our loved ones stay safe, and I know you might be mad at Peter, but he can’t stand the idea of losing you, that’s why he does this.” And whether you were speaking for Peter or your own feelings, didn’t matter much anymore, because your words came straight from your heart and the fear of losing her too. “That’s why we throw ourselves headfirst into saving the world. We can’t stand the thought of losing you.”

And maybe it would’ve been easier if she was angrier if she hit you, or slammed the door on your face and told you to never come back, but she didn’t.

Instead, May listened to each word you spoke, trying to find some hint of a lie so she could get angry, so she had a reason to hate you and end things, but still, nothing ever came.

And maybe that was why she was so hurt.

Because she knew each word that left your mouth was the truth.

That you’d let yourself die before anything happened to Peter, that you’d rather breathe your last breath before any harm came to either of them, that you would throw your life away if it meant they could keep theirs.

That you were so focused on keeping them safe that you downplayed the weight of your own life in theirs.

“What if I can’t stand the thought of losing you? Or Peter?” The heartbreak in May’s voice was heavier than the hurt behind her words, as the tears that you were holding back were present in hers, threatening to fall at any second, “I can’t love another selfless hero, I don’t want to see either of you sacrifice yourself for me…I don’t want to see you memorialized in the papers or news instead of here with me and Peter, laughing about something that happened over dinner.”

It was the first time May ever raised her voice at you, the first time her words stung, and the first time that maybe, maybe all the little things finally told you that she might feel the same way too.

Your throat was dry and your head was aching from the whole exchange, but for some reason, her words repeated themselves in your head, “I wasn’t supposed to be anything to you, and, and now you’re saying you can’t stand the thought of losing me? That I’m a selfless hero? I promised nothing bad would ever happen to either of you and look at what’s happening, May.”

And for once you let your heart ache, the tears stinging as they fell from your eyes and your hands moved to wipe hers away.

“What about my promise?” When you realized that your hands had moved on their own, you flinched and backed away, putting distance between the two of you to avoid another misstep. “I hurt both you and Peter by letting this secret continue as it did, even after all the things you’ve done for me.”

At this point, Peter had changed and waited outside his door, watching the two of you argue with sad eyes, feeling no less guilty than you did at the moment. “May, it wasn’t their fault, please don’t be mad at them.”

“Peter -”

Before you could try and stand up for him again, his tears breaking your heart into even smaller pieces, May moved and pulled him into a tight hug before pulling you in with him.

Neither of you knew what to do but to relish in the embrace and wrap your arms around her, a better sign than the crossed arms and hurt look she was sporting earlier.

“I’m sorry I reacted the way I did, but I’m just scared of losing both of you. Your own personal hero is here, and I’m not letting either of you go until you’re both okay.” And much like you did for the two of them on that stormy night, she returned the favor, holding you both so tightly, you thought she could put the Hulk to shame. Even her voice, rough from the crying and yelling as it was, still managed to be one of the softest noises you ever heard, and one of the most loving, a melody that you and Peter both cherished, “so long as you’re both protecting me and the rest of the world, I’ll always be here waiting with open arms.”

You couldn’t help but lean into the embrace with a small laugh, this time your tears staining her shirt, “Parkers, is it too late for me to say I love you?”

“Well, in this household we say lorb, remember? You know that.” Peter sniffled before he laughed with you, pulling away just enough to wipe his face with the back of his hand. “But I think you’re safe with either.”

“And you’ve shown it in more ways than saying it time and time again, I think you’re safe too,” you pulled your head back just in time to see May smile wider, a teasing glint in her eye, “it wouldn’t hurt to hear it now though.”


End file.
